TULSA, Okla. – The Duke doubles tandem of junior Raphael Hemmeler and sophomore Bruno Semenzato upset second-ranked Hernus Pieters and Ben Wagland of Georgia to earn a spot in the second round of the doubles main draw at the 2013 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships.

Ranked 25th in the ITA’s preseason doubles poll, Hemmeler and Semenzato jumped out to a 4-0 start against the Bulldogs Thursday evening on center court at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. The Blue Devil duo went on to register an 8-4 victory, securing a place in Friday’s second round.

Hemmeler also competed in the singles main draw Thursday, drawing a first-round matchup with No. 54 Winston Lin of Columbia. The 49th-ranked player in the ITA poll, Hemmeler fell to Lin, 6-1, 6-2, to move his overall ledger to 3-3 on the fall.

Senior Fred Saba, the 26th-ranked player in the nation, topped No. 73 Arturs Kazijevs of SMU in a three-set, first-round decision, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native went on to face 14th-seeded and 17th-ranked Jared Hiltzik of Illinois in the second round, and despite a strong effort, fell by scores of 6-2, 6-3.

The Blue Devils were also represented in the tournament by sophomore Michael Redlicki, who along with Saba received automatic entry into the singles main draw. In a matchup of top-25 ranked players, No. 22 Redlicki pushed No. 20 Mac Styslinger of Virginia to the brink in both sets but ultimately fell, 6-4, 7-5. Redlicki bounced back later in the day, defeating No. 37 John Morrissey of Stanford in the first round of the singles backdraw, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Semenzato also earned a match in singles consolation play, dropping a 7-5, 6-2 decision to UCLA's Mackenzie McDonald in the first round.

The ITA All-American Championships continue through the weekend in Tulsa. For complete updates, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter (@Duke_MTEN).